Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024)
Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Dell Alienware m18 R1
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.3/10
9.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024) is very good.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Screen Quality
8.3/10
7.8/10
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
498.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has a better screen than the Dell Alienware m18 R1 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Fair
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
5.7 lbs
WEIGHT
8.9 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024) has only fair portability, while the Dell Alienware m18 R1 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has very good build quality, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,450
$2,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024) has a price of $1,450 and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 costs $2,600.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for general use, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024) is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.6/10
9.1/10
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024) is very good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.1/10
8.4/10
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Alienware m18 R1 and Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024) are both very good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.9/10
8.0/10
9.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Dell Alienware m18 R1 to be very good for software development, while the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024) is good.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Battery
5.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 has 5 hours of battery life. The Dell Alienware m18 R1 has 4 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
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How the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024) and the Dell Alienware m18 R1 compare to other laptops
"The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 sacrifices portability and a truly budget price in the name of additional power. While remaining relatively budget-friendly, this gaming laptop packs serious processing chops, and Acer optimizes its internals to deliver respectable 1080p (or 1200p) gameplay from an RTX 4050. Its keyboard and chassis design won't win it any awards, but its display is a cut above for the price."
"Dell's Alienware m18 delivers on its promises: This is a large, powerful gaming laptop with the premium flair and feel you expect from an expensive purchase. The drawbacks are really the price and battery life, which in context are reasonable. (We'd also like to see more ports on the laptop's sides.) This price tier exists for deep-pocketed enthusiasts, and if you’re considering anything in this range, the m18 isn’t an outlier. For the majority of shoppers, of course, all of these mighty 18-inch systems are likely too expensive."
Get a great deal on the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (2024) or the Dell Alienware m18 R1
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.